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HISTORICAL  SKETCH 

OF  THE 

CHRISTIAN 
WOMAN’S  HOARD 
OF  MISSIONS 


Compiled  in  1897  by 

Miss  Elmira  J.  Dickinson 

Revised  and  Enlarged  May  1905  by 

Mrs.  Helen  E.  Moses 


PUBLISHED  BY 

The  Christian  Woman’s  Board 
of  Missions 
152  East  Market  Street 
Indianapolis,  Ind. 


1S74 

1875 

1876 

1877 

1878 

1879 

1880 

1881 

1882 

1883 

1884 

1885 

1886 

1887 

1888 

1889 

1890 

1891 

1892 

1893 

1894 

1895 

1896 

1897 

1898 

1899 

1900 

1901 

1902 

1903 

1904 


CONVENTION  AND  FINANCIAL 

RECORD. 


Cincinnati:  Collections  during  first 

tion  . . 


Louisville  . 
Indianapolis 
St.  Louis  .  . 
Cincinnati  . 
Bloomington 
Louisville  . 
Indianapolis 
Lexington  . 
Cincinnati  . 
St.  Louis  .  . 
Cleveland  .  . 
Kansas  City 
Indianapolis 
Springfield 
Louisville  . 
Des  Moines 
Allegheny  . 
Nashville  .  . 
Chicago  . .  . 
Richmond  . 

Dallas  . 

Springfield 
Indianapolis 
Chattanooga 
Cincinnati  . 
Kansas  City 
Minneapolis 
Omaha  .... 
Detroit  .... 
St.  Louis  .  . 


Conven- 

.  $430.00 

Receipts  for 

Year  Ending 
Sept.  30. 

.  $770.35 

.  1,749.00 

.  2,033.77 

.  2,919.42 

.  3,551.24 

.  5,050.96 

.  7,483.50 

.  9,319.60 

.  10,364.55 

.  14,418.55 

.  16,620.09 

.  18,283.63 

.  26,226.01 

.  27,665.26 

.  36,279.17 

.  42,116.81 

.  40,973.87 

.  48,222.68 

.  51,232.06 

.  59,277.04 

.  58,611.83 

.  57,622.20 

.  ... _  62,600.81 

.  68,185.87 

.  101,343.54 

.  106,722.76 

.  135,441.58 

.  139,034.00 

.  147,089.85 

.  167,084.73 


$1,468,724.73 


THE  CHRISTIAN  WOMAN’S  BOARD  OF 

MISSIONS. 

ANTECEDENTS. 

Woman’s  missionary  work,  as  a  distinctive  agency,  is  a  prod¬ 
uct  of  the  nineteenth  century.  The  first  organization  for  this 
purpose,  in  this  country,  of  which  we  have  any  account,  is  the 
Female  Missionary  Society  of  the  M.  E.  Church,  in  New  York, 
which  was  organized  in  1819,  but  ceased  to  exist  in  1861.  In  1834 
women  of  various  Churches  in  New  York,  learning  of  the  deplor¬ 
able  condition  of  their  heathen  sisters,  formed  a  Society  to  work 
in  their  behalf,  but  this  was  soon  abandoned  at  the  urgent  re¬ 
quest  of  the  Church  Boards.  In  1860  Mrs.  Fannie  B.  Mason,  a 
missionary  from  Burmah,  came  to  New  York  with  the  sad  story 
of  the  wants  and  woes  of  heathen  women.  The  result  was  the 
formation  of  the  Woman’s  Union  Missionary  Society,  in  1861, 
which  is  still  working  vigorously.  The  various  subsequent  de¬ 
nominational  Woman’s  Missionary  Society  in  the  United  States 
are  outgrowths  from  this. 

ORIGIN. 

As  early  as  October,  1869,  Elder  Thomas  Munnell  had  urged 
the  General  Christian  Missionary  Convention,  assembled  at  Louis¬ 
ville,  Ky.,  to  take  steps  for  enlisting  the  sisters  in  systematic  mis¬ 
sionary  work,  and  though  this  was  not  done  then,  the  seeds  were 
sown  beside  the  waters,  and  some  of  them  grew  years  after. 

Early  in  the  winter  of  1874  Elder  John  C.  Hay,  then  preach¬ 
ing  for  the  congregation  at  Des  Moines,  Iowa,  called  the  women 
of  his  congregation  together  and  pointed  out  to  them  the  good 
they  might  do  were  they  organized  for  systematic  missionary 
work.  Under  his  influence  they  organized  on  the  twenty-eighth 
day  of  February,  1874,  a  Woman’s  Missionary  Society,  under  the 
leadership  of  Mrs.  C.  E.  Gaston.  This  was  almost  eight  months 
before  the  organization  of  the  National  Society.  In  the  Christian 
Oracle ,  of  August  9,  1874,  Mrs.  Gaston  said:  “This  was  the  first 
missionary  organization  among  our  sisters.” 

In  the  same  year,  without  any  concert  of  action,  Mrs.  Mary 


4 


HISTORICAL  SKETCH  OF  THE 


A.  Bryant,  of  Ashley,  Pike  County,  Missouri,  organized  a  Self- 
Denial  Society,  for  the  purpose  of  raising  money  for  the  preach¬ 
ing  of  the  Gospel. 

About  the  first  of  August  similar  societies  were  organized  in 
Eureka  and  Bloomington,  Ill.  The  seed  sown  was  springing  up. 
The  time  had  come  for  concert  of  action.  The  impulse  needed  was 
given  by  Mrs.  C.  N.  Pearre,  of  Iowa  City,  Iowa.  Replying  to 
questions  concerning  her  part  in  this  awakening,  she  says  in  a 
letter  written  February  10,  1896:  “On  the  10th  of  April,  1874, 
about  10  o’colck  in  the  morning,  at  the  close  of  my  private  devo¬ 
tions,  the  thought  came  to  me.  I  promptly  conferred  with 
Brother  Munnell,  who  was  then  Corresponding  Secretary  of  the 
General  Christian  Missionary  Convention,  to  know  if  he  thought 
it  practicable.  He  responded  at  once:  ‘This  is  a  flame  of  the 
Lord’s  kindling,  and  no  man  can  extinguish  it.’  I  then  began  to 
write  letters  to  our  ladies,  and  soon  received  favorable  answers 
from  all  but  one.  She  did  not  reply.” 

These  letters  of  Mrs.  Pearre  found  hearty  and  ready  response 
in  the  hearts  of  many,  among  them  Mrs.  O.  A.  Burgess,  of  In¬ 
diana;  Mrs.  Joseph  King,  of  Pennsylvania;  Mrs.  M.  M.  B.  Good¬ 
win  and  Mrs.  R.  R.  Sloan,  of  Ohio;  Miss  E.  J.  Dickinson,  of  Illi¬ 
nois;  Mrs.  R.  Milligan,  of  Kentucky,  and  Mrs.  J.  K.  Rogers,  of 
Missouri.  The  first  active  response  to  Mrs.  Pearre’s  letters  was 
made  by  the  women  of  the  Central  Church,  Indianapolis,  who 
met  as  an  Aid  Society  in  the  parlors  of  Mrs.  Governor  Wallace  in 
July,  1874.  Upon  the  reading  of  the  letter  a  constitution  was 
prepared  and  adopted,  seven  or  eight  names  enrolled  and  officers 
chosen. 

In  May,  1874,  Mrs.  Pearre  had  organized  a  society  in  the 
Iowa  City  Church.  The  letters  she  received  encouraged  her  to  go 
forward  in  securing  the  interest  and  co-operation  of  her  sisters 
in  Christ’s  service. 

About  the  same  time  a  letter  that  she  had  written  to  Mrs. 
J.  K.  Rogers,  of  Missouri,  was  sent  to  J.  H.  Garrison,  who  pub¬ 
lished  it  in  The  Christian,  with  an  editorial  fervently  commend¬ 
ing  it  to  his  readers.  In  June  Isaac  Errett  visited  Iowa  City, 
talked  the  matter  all  over  with  Mrs.  Pearre,  was  thoroughly  in¬ 
terested,  and  then  and  there  wrote  a  vigorous  leader  entitled, 
Help  Those  Women,  and  sent  it  off  for  the  next  issue  of  his  paper, 
The  Christian  Standard,  In  this  he  proposed  that  the  sisters  hold 


CHRISTIAN  WOMAN’S  BOARD  OF  MISSIONS 


5 


a  Convention  at  the  same  time  with  the  General  Convention,  at 
Cincinnati,  in  the  following  October,  to  organize  a  Woman’s 
Board.  Through  the  columns  of  The  Standard  and  The  Chris¬ 
tian,  this  was  kept  before  the  people  and  arranged  for.  Already 
there  were  devout  women  here  and  there,  who,  in  silence,  were 
yearning  for  some  active,  responsible,  yet  womanly  work  for  the 
Master,  in  place  of  the  passive  Church  life  they  were  living.  The 
words  of  these  faithful  men  strengthened  and  encouraged  all 
such. 

ORGANIZATION. 

According  to  the  suggestion  made  by  Isaac  Errett,  in  the 
Christian  Standard,  that  the  women  me°t.  in  connection  with  the 
General  Convention  held  that  year  (1874),  in  Cincinnati,  Ohio, 
about  seventy-five  women  gathered  in  the  basement  of  the  Rich¬ 
mond  Street  Church,  in  that  city.  Mrs.  R.  R.  Sloan,  of  Ohio,  was 
called  to  preside.  Miss  Alma  White  served  as  Secretary  of  the 
meeting.  Mrs.  Pearre  explained  fully  the  purpose  of  the  meet¬ 
ing,  and  presented  plans  for  future  work.  Prayerfully  and  fer¬ 
vently  the  matter  was  considered.  The  result  was,  the  Christian 
Woman’s  Board  of  Missions  was  organized  October  22,  1874,  on 
which  date  the  constitution  was  adopted,  headquarters  placed  at 
Indianapolis,  and  national  officers  chosen  from  that  locality.  The 
Committee  on  Nominations  was  composed  of  one  member  from 
each  of  the  nine  States  represented  in  the  organization,  namely, 
Pennsylvania,  Kentucky,  Ohio,  Indiana,  Illinois,  Missouri,  Iowa, 
Oregon,  West  Virginia.  The  officers  elected  were:  President, 
Mrs.  Maria  Jameson;  Recording  Secretary,  Mrs.  William  Wal¬ 
lace;  Corresponding  Secretary,  Mrs.  C.  N.  Pearre;  Treasurer, 
Mrs.  O.  A.  Burgess,  all  of  Indianapolis,  Mrs.  Pearre  having  re¬ 
cently  moved  there.  A  Vice-President,  a  Secretary,  and  one  or 
more  Managers  for  each  of  the  nine  States  were  also  elected,  and 
these,  all  together,  constituted  the  Executive  Committee.  The 
management  of  the  work  was  given  to  those  in  and  near  In¬ 
dianapolis,  though  non-resident  members  were  allowed  a  proxy 
vote  on  all  matters  of  importance. 

When  the  organization  was  completed,  the  newly  elected  offi¬ 
cers  were  introduced  to  the  General  Convention,  and  were  given 
a  cordial  greeting,  the  following  resolution  being  adopted:  “Re- 


6 


HISTORICAL  SKETCH  OF  THE 


solved,  That  this  Convention  extend  to  the  Christian  Woman’s 
Board  of  Missions  recognition  and  hearty  approval,  assured  that 
it  opens  a  legitimate  field  of  activity  and  usefulness  in  which 
Christian  women  may  be  active  co-operants  of  ours  in  the  great 
work  of  sending  the  gospel  into  all  the  world.  We  pledge  our¬ 
selves  to  ‘help  these  women  who  propose  to  labor  with  us  in  the 
Gospel.’  ” 

Under  such  favoring  conditions,  and  with  such  earnest  as¬ 
surances  of  help  from  our  brethren,  was  the  work  inaugurated. 

CHOOSING  OUR  FIRST  FIELD. 

In  answer  to  the  question,  “Now,  for  what  definite  field 
shall  we  work?”  the  following  were  proposed:  1.  A  mission  in 
our  great  West.  2.  A  mission  among  the  Freedmen.  3.  Revival 
of  the  Jamaica  Mission.  4.  Support  of  one  or  more  teachers 
in  connection  with  the  Free  Baptist  Mission  in  India  or  China. 
All  pledged  themselves  to  abide  by  the  decision  of  the  majority. 
The  merits  of  these  several  fields  were  fully  stated  and  earnestly 
considered. 

The  Convention  had  many  friends  scattered  all  through  the 
West,  many  of  them  without  Church  privileges.  Four  million 
slaves,  ignorant  and  needy,  had  recently  been  freed  within  our 
borders.  The  deplorable  condition  of  women  in  India  and  China 
was  touchingly  portrayed  by  Dr.  Graham,  of  the  Free  Baptist 
Mission,  with  an  appeal  in  their  behalf.  Jamaica  had  been  a 
mission  of  our  American  Christian  Missionary  Society  for  sev¬ 
eral  years,  in  charge  of  J.  O.  Beardsley,  and  with  encouraging 
success;  but  in  1864,  in  the  midst  of  the  Civil  War,  was  abandoned 
for  lack  of  funds.  For  ten  years  our  seven  or  eight  little  con¬ 
gregations  over  there  had  been  without  a  minister.  Ignorant, 
weak,  helpless,  they  kept  piteously  pleading,  “Come  over  into 
Jamaica  again  and  help  us.”  It  was  as  the  prophetic  Ethiopia 
stretching  out  her  hands  unto  God.  The  vote  was  twice  retaken, 
and  was  almost  unanimously  for  Jamaica.  Thus  it  became  our 
first  field. 


OUR  MISSIONS. 

JAMAICA. 

At  the  close  of  our  first  Convention,  our  collections  amounted 
to  $430.  During  1875  our  cause  grew  slowly  and  steadily,  but  it 


CHRISTIAN  WOMAN’S  BOARD  OF  MISSIONS  7 

was  not  till  the  beginning  of  187G  that  our  funds  were  sufficient 
for  us  to  send  out  a  missionary.  Then  Mr.  and  Mrs.  W.  H.  Wil¬ 
liams,  of  Platte  City,  Mo.,  were  sent.  They  sailed  from  New  York 
January  29,  and  landed  in  Kingston  Saturday,  February  5.  They 
were  warmly  welcomed.  Mr.  Williams  began  work  the  next  day, 
by  preaching  to  about  thirty  in  the  old,  dark,  leaky,  unpainted 
chapel.  His  audiences  steadily  increased  till  the  house  could 
not  hold  the  people.  He  found  in  Kingston  about  fifty  disciples 
still  faithful,  all  colored  or  black,  poor,  and  many  of  them  very 
poor.  Most  of  the  congregations  in  the  country  had  ceased  meet¬ 
ing,  but  a  good  many  individual  members  remained  faithful. 

From  the  first  he  taught  them,  among  other  things,  the  im¬ 
portant  lesson  of  self-support,  impressing  upon  them  the  duty 
and  habit  of  systematic  giving  to  the  Lord’s  cause.  This  they 
cheerfully  accepted,  and  almost  without  exception  each  pledged  a 
definite  sum  weekly  for  repairs  and  current  expenses.  His  reg¬ 
ular  work  was  Scripture  study  with  the  people,  prayer  meetings, 
Sunday  Schools,  teachers’  meetings,  preachings  in  various  parts 
of  the  city  and  surrounding  country,  and  visiting  from  house  to 
house.  The  result  was  gradual  growth. 

In  1878  James  Tilley  took  charge  of  several  congregations  in 
the  mountains,  northward  from  Kingston.  He  was  in  our  employ 
until  1884,  when  he  came  to  the  United  States  to  more  thoroughly 
prepare  himself  for  his  work,  but  ere  long  he  sickened  and  died. 
Mr.  Tilley  was  an  Englishman,  a  convert  of  Mr.  Spurgeon,  and  a 
most  thorough,  consecrated  Christian. 

The  general  lack  of  schools  on  the  island,  and  consequent 
ignorance  of  the  natives,  soon  made  it  evident  that  we  must 
provide  for  at  least  primary  education  in  connection  with  our 
mission  stations.  We  tried  to  do  this,  but  found  it  exceedingly 
difficult  to  get  efficient  teachers,  also  suitable  books  and  other 
appliances  for  school  work.  We  soon  saw,  too,  the  need  of  estab¬ 
lishing  a  training  school  in  Kingston,  and  we  sent  three  teach¬ 
ers,  at  different  times,  for  this  work — Miss  Laughlin,  Miss  Per¬ 
kins  and  Miss  McEwan — but  the  hindrances  were  such  that  it  was 
not  accomplished. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Williams  resigned  the  work  in  Jamaica  in 
August,  1879.  The  next  April  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Isaac  Tomlinson  suc¬ 
ceeded  them  in  the  mission,  continuing  till  the  close  of  1881.  At 
this  date  we  had,  beside  the  Kingston  Church,  four  country 


8 


HISTORICAL  SKETCH  OF  THE 


Churches  and  four  out-stations,  with  about  700  members;  also, 
several  Sunday  Schools  and  day  schools.  During  all  these  years 
a  native  young  man,  named  Darby,  had  been  an  efficient  helper  in 
Church  and  school  work. 

When  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Tomlinson  returned  to  the  United  States 
at  the  close  of  1881,  W.  K.  Azbill  had  been  engaged  to  take  the 
work  there.  He  sailed  February  3,  1882,  and  had  charge  of  that 
field  for  about  four  years.  During  two  years  of  this  time  W.  S. 
Houchins  and  Miss  Sallie  McEwan  were  employed  there.  When 
Mr.  Azbill  left  the  Island,  early  in  1886,  the  work  was  placed  in 
charge  of  C.  E.  Randall,  an  Englishman,  who  had  been  laboring 
as  a  Baptist  missionary  on  the  Island  more  than  twenty  years, 
but  a  year  before  had  united  with  the  Disciples.  J.  W.  Jenkins 
and  R.  E.  Swartz  were  sent  out  in  1886,  the  former  to  Provi¬ 
dence,  remaining  three  years;  the  latter  to  Kingston,  remaining 
two  years. 

Early  in  1887  Mrs.  O.  A.  Burgess  and  Miss  E.  J.  Dickinson 
went  as  a  deputation  to  visit  the  Jamaica  Mission,  without  ex¬ 
pense  to  the  Board.  Their  work  was  “to  observe,  inspect  and  re¬ 
port  on  all  phases  of  the  work  of  the  Christian  Woman’s  Board  of 
Missions  in  Jamaica.”  They  sailed  from  New  York  January  19, 
and  were  gone  three  months.  On  their  return  they  made  a  full 
report  of  their  observations,  which  was  published  in  the  Mission¬ 
ary  Tidings  for  July  of  that  year. 

For  several  years  the  work  in  Jamaica  made  little  progress. 
Changes  in  the  Mission  forces  were  all  too  frequent  and  hindered 
the  development  of  the  field.  At  the  Dallas  Convention,  in  1895, 
the  committee  on  that  field  recommended  that  a  vigorous  prosecu¬ 
tion  of  the  work  there  be  resumed  at  once;  that  other  mission¬ 
aries  be  sent  there  as  soon  as  possible,  and  that  provision  be 
made  for  the  preparation  of  a  native  ministry.  To  speak  this  was 
one  thing;  to  do  it  was  quite  another  thing.  It  seemed  impera¬ 
tive,  to  those  having  the  matter  hand,  that  they  should  possess  a 
clearer  knowledge  of  the  Mission  than  could  be  obtained  through 
correspondence.  To  visit  Jamaica  and  secure  the  desired  infor¬ 
mation  C.  C.  Smith  was  chosen,  because  of  his  experience  with 
and  for  the  colored  people  of  our  own  land,  and  because  of  his 
eminent  fitness  for  it  otherwise.  He  spent  two  months  there 
early  in  1896,  accomplished  the  purpose  of  his  going,  made  full 
report  to  the  Board  on  his  return.  His  addresses  and  his 


Christian  woman’s  board  of  missions 


9 


articles  in  the  Tidings  and  other  Church  papers  have  given  to 
our  people  generally  a  far  better  knowledge  than  they  had  before 
possessed  concerning  this  Island  Mission. 

The  area  occupied  by  our  interests  there  is  about  twenty-nine 
miles  long  by  sixteen  miles  wide,  if  measured  in  straight  lines. 
This  area  is  very  irregular  in  shape,  and  is  made  up  mostly  of 
rocks  and  mountains  broken  into  thousands  of  perilous  steeps  and 
precipices.  Danger  is  imminent  almost  everywhere.  Most  of  the 
traveling  must  be  done  on  horseback  along  paths  steep  and  nar¬ 
row,  and  so  winding  around  chasms  and  over  and  around  moun¬ 
tains  that  one  must  often  ride  thus,  in  slow  walk,  several  miles 
to  reach  a  point  one  mile  direct  from  the  starting  place. 

Missionaries  to  Jamaica,  1874-1905. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  W.  H.  Williams . 1876  to  1879 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  James  Tilley . 1878  to  1884 

Miss  Jennie  Laughlin . 1879  to  1880 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  I.  G.  Tomlinson . 1880  to  1882 

Miss  Marion  Perkins . 1880  to  1882 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  W.  K.  Azbill . 1882  to  1886 

Miss  Sallie  McEwan . 1883  to  1885 

W.  S.  Houchins . 1883  to  1885 

John  Thompson  (deceased) . 1884  to  1899 

C.  E.  Randall . 1885  to  date 

Mrs.  C.  E.  Randall . 1885  to  date 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  R.  M.  Chamberlain . 1885  to  1887 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  R.  E.  Swartz . 1886  to  1888 

J.  W.  Jenkins . 1886  to  1889 

J.  H.  Versey . 1889  to  1894 

William  W.  Rumsey . 1889  to  1892 

Claris  Yeuell  . 1889  to  1890 

W.  H.  Hayden  (July  to  November) . 1888  to  1888 

J.  C.  Smith . 1891  to  1893 

M.  A.  Collins . 1891  to  1893 

H.  L.  Gow . 1891  to  1893 

A.  C.  McHardy . 1892  to  1904 

Mrs.  A.  C.  McHardy . 1892  to  1904 

William  W.  Rumsey . 1894  to  1896 

Miss  M.  Isabel  McHardy . 1896  to  date 

Neil  MacLeod  (deceased) . 1896  to  1902 

Mrs.  Neil  MacLeod . 1900  to  1902 

P.  M.  Robinson . 1888  to  1902 

T.  A.  Meredith . 1897  to  1904 

Mrs.  T.  A.  Meredith . 1897  to  1904 

G.  D.  Purdy . 1897  to  date 

Mrs.  G.  D.  Purdy . 1897  to  date 


:iO 


HISTORICAL  SKETCH  OF  THE 


Robert  Bailey. . . 

.1899  to  date 

Louis  Thomas... 

.1900  to  date 

Arnold  Shirley.. 

1900  to  date 

Mrs.  Arnold  Shirley . 

1903  to  date 

J.  Gordon  Hay.  . 

1903  to  date 

Henry  Cotterell. 

1903  to  date 

Mr.  J.  J.  Handsaker . 

.1905  to  date 

Mrs.  J.  J.  Handsaker.... 

.1905  to  date 

John  E.  Randall 

M  ission 

Stations  in  Jamaica. 

1905  to  date 

Day 

Sunday 

Churches. 

Members. 

Schools.  Schools. 

Kingston  . 

.  120 

.... 

154 

Torrington  ..... 

.  44 

25 

125 

Mt.  Olivet . 

.  86 

70 

56 

Bloxburgh  . 

.  91 

59 

73 

Bushy  Park . 

.  ,79 

•  •  •  • 

Mt.  Zion . 

.  40 

•  •  •  • 

King’s  Gate . 

.  102 

20 

New  Bethel . 

.  69 

24 

Carmel  . 

.  45 

30 

Providence  . 

.  94 

24 

Chesterfield  .... 

.  153 

84 

83 

Flint  River . 

.  92 

44 

Mamby  Vale . 

. .  64 

25 

Oberlin  . 

.  174 

75 

Manning’s  Hill .  . 

.  97 

135 

100 

Lucky  Hill . 

.  67 

65 

40 

Salisbury  Plain.. 

•  •  •  • 

20 

Bethel  . 

.  90 

•  •  •  • 

96 

Airy  Mount . 

.  34 

•  •  •  • 

32 

Fairy  Hill . 

.  55 

46 

91 

Berea  . 

.  35 

•  •  •  • 

40 

Hazel  Grove  and 

Birch .  . 

.  78 

. . .  . 

55 

1709 

484 

1207 

FRANCE. 

In  1880  our  Board  appropriated  $750,  salary  for  Miss  Crease, 
assistant  to  Mrs.  Delaunay,  of  the  French  Mission  in  charge  of  the 
Foreign  Christian  Missionary  Society.  In  1881  it  appropriated 
$500  for  this  assistant,  and  $500  also  for  an  assistant  for  Profes¬ 
sor  Delaunay. 

JACKSON,  MISS. 

In  April,  1881,  the  Board  employed  Elder  and  Mrs.  Faurot 


CHRISTIAN  WOMAN’S  BOARD  OF  MISSIONS  ll 

to  labor  among  the  Freedmen  at  Jackson,  Miss.  At  the  end  of 
thirteen  months  they  resigned,  being  called  to  the  work  at  the 
Southern  Christian  Institute,  at  Edwards,  Miss. 

INDIA. 

In  October,  1881,  the  Christian  Woman’s  Board  of  Missions 
and  the  Foreign  Christian  Missionary  Society  decided  to  co-oper¬ 
ate  in  establishing  a  mission  in  India.  In  September,  1882,  the 
company  sailed.  We  sent  four  young  women,  Ada  Boyd,  Mary 
Kingsbury,  Mary  Graybiel  and  Laura  V.  Kinsey.  G.  L.  Wharton 
and  L.  Norton  and  their  wives  were  sent  by  the  Foreign  Board. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wharton  located  in  Hurda,  Central  Provinces.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Norton  soon  withdrew  from  the  work. 

Bilaspur. 

Station  opened  March,  1885. 

Sunday  School  organized,  1885. 

Church  organized,  1887. 

Sunday  work  commenced,  1887. 

Orphanage  opened,  1888. 

Medical  work  begun,  1889. 

Hospital  opened,  1895. 

M.  D.  Adams  and  wife  were  sent  out  soon  after  the  first  com¬ 
pany  of  India  missionaries.  These,  with  Misses  Kingsbury,  Gray¬ 
biel  and  Boyd,  went  200  miles  east  from  Hurda  and  opened  a  sta¬ 
tion  at  Bilaspur,  where  the  Foreign  Board  built  a  bungalow,  or 
Mission  home,  for  their  workers,  and  we  built  one  for  ours. 
Later,  we  built  a  school-house  and  an  orphanage,  in  1894  a  dor¬ 
mitory  and  a  hospital,  in  1898  a  physician’s  bungalow  was  erect¬ 
ed,  in  1899  a  second  school-house  was  purchased,  and  in  1900  an¬ 
other  orphanage  dormitory  was  built.  To  these  have  been  added 
school-houses,  dispensaries  and  additions  to  the  orphanage,  as  the 
growth  of  the  work  required. 

Bina. 

Station  opened  February  1,  1894. 

Sunday  School  organized  February  7,  1894. 

Day  school  opened  December  17,  1894. 

Church  organized  April  8,  1897. 

When  three  of  our  first  missionaries  to  India  went  to  Bilas¬ 
pur,  Miss  Kinsey  remained  at  Hurda.  In  1887  she  married  Ben 


12 


HISTORICAL  SKETCH  OF  THE 


N.  Mitchell,  a  missionary  laboring  in  Bombay,  under  an  English 
Methodist  Board.  From  his  own  Bible  study  he  was  already  in 
full  sympathy  with  the  principles  of  the  Disciples.  While  on  a 
visit  to  Bilaspur,  previous  to  their  coming  to  America,  in  1889, 
he  was  immersed  by  Mr.  Adams  and  identified  himself  with  the 
Disciples  of  Christ.  After  spending  four  years  in  this  country 
they  returned  to  India  in  1893,  and  with  them  Misses  Ida  Kin¬ 
sey,  of  Bortland,  Ind.,  and  Mattie  W.  Burgess,  of  St.  Joseph,  Mo. 
They  opened  a  station  at  Bina  for  native,  Eurasion  and  English 
work. 

The  buildings  here  are  a  bungalow,  Church,  school-house  and 
houses  for  native  workers. 

Deoghur. 

Station  opened  December,  1886. 

Chapel  work  opened,  1890. 

Zenana  work  begun,  1886. 

School  work  begun,  1897. 

Orphanage  opened — Boys’,  1897;  Girls’,  1899. 

Evangelistic  work  begun,  1886. 

Sunday  School  work  begun,  1897. 

Leper  work. 

* 

Deoghur  is  200  miles  west  from  Calcutta.  Mission  work  there 
was  commenced  by  Miss  Jane  Wakefield  Adam,  a  native  of  Scot¬ 
land.  She  had  long  been  a  Baptist,  closely  studied  her  Bible  and 
yearned  for  Christian  union.  She  prayed  to  be  sent  to  the  dark¬ 
est  spot  in  India,  was  guided  to  Deoghur,  and  for  about  twenty 
years  has  given  herself  to  its  enlightenment.  She  went  independ¬ 
ent  of  any  Church  or  Board,  and  has  faithfully  sowed  the  good 
seed  in  and  about  Deoghur. 

In  1893  she  heard  of  our  workers  and  their  work  at  Bilaspur, 
and  visited  them.  The  visit  was  a  mutual  joy.  The  result,  she 
united  with  the  little  band  of  Disciples  there.  In  1894  she  came 
into  the  employ  of  the  Christian  Woman’s  Board  of  Missions, 
bringing  her  work  with  her.  She  was  then  65  years  old.  She 
had  a  compound,  but  her  buildings  were  meager.  She  lived  in  a 
little  house  on  wheels  nine  years.  She  needed  associate  workers 
and  a  home.  In  1895,  our  Board  sent  to  her  Misses  M.  Alice 
Spradlin  and  Bessie  Farrar.  In  1898  Dr.  Olivia  A.  Baldwin,  of 
Texas,  and  Miss  Annie  Agnes  Lackey,  of  Arkansas,  were  sent  to 
reinforce  this  station. 


CHRISTIAN  WOMAN’S  BOARD  OF  MISSIONS 


13 


The  buildings  here  are  a  Mission  bungalow,  orphanage, 
school  chapel,  dispensary,  small  hospital  and  houses  for  native 
helpers. 

Mahoba. 

Station  opened  March  1,  1895. 

Sunday  School  organized  early  in  1895. 

Orphanage  opened  July  26,  1895. 

School  work  begun  December  1,  1895. 

Church  organized  April  2,  1896. 

Zenana  work  begun  January  1,  1899. 

Kindergarten  opened,  1899. 

Medical  work  opened,  1899. 

On  returning  to  India  in  1894  from  her  furlough  in  this 
country,  Miss  Graybiel  was  occompanied  by  Miss  Adelaide  Gail 
Frost.  They  opened  a  station  at  Mahoba,  Hamirpur  District, 
United  Provinces,  and  were  cordially  received  by  the  people.  In 
1895  Miss  Elsie  H.  Gordon  was  added  to  this  station,  also  a  native 
evangelist,  and  his  wife.  In  1896  a  physician,  Dr.  Rosa  Lee  Oxer, 
was  sent  out,  but  the  demands  upon  Dr.  Oxer’s  time  for  the  cam 
of  famine  orphans  were  so  great  she  was  not.  able  to  formally 
open  medical  work.  She  became  orphanage  mother  to  the  many 
girls  rescued  from  the  jaws  of  the  famine  in  this  station. 

Pedra  Road. 

Station  opened  November,  1900. 

Evangelistic  work  commenced  December,  1900. 

Sunday  School  opened,  1901. 

Training  of  orphan  boys  commenced,  1901. 

Schools  opened,  1902  and  1903. 

Mr.  N.  Madsen  and  his  wife,  Bessie  Farrar  Madsen,  opened 
this  station,  which  is  about  sixty  miles  from  Bilaspur,  in  the 
Central  Provinces,  going  to  Pendra  Road  soon  after  their  mar¬ 
riage.  Mr.  Madsen  came  to  our  Mission  in  India,  having  heard 
the  plea  made  by  our  missionaries  for  Christian  union.  This  sta¬ 
tion  is  situated  on  the  borders  of  one  of  the  native  kingdoms  of 
Central  India,  and  our  missionaries  are  making  great  efforts  to 
reach  the  people  of  this  kingdom.  This  station  is  named  for 
Miss  Florence  Briscoe,  of  Bethany,  Neb. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Madsen  are  trying  the  experiment  of  founding 


14 


HISTORICAL  SKETCH  OF  THE 


Christian  villages,  and  the  project  is  being  studied  with  great  in¬ 
terest. 

The  buildings  are  a  chapel,  bungalow  and  houses  for  helpers. 

CALCUTTA. 

Work  opened  December  13,  1900. 

Bible  lectures  given  by  Mr.  Forrest. 

Courses  of  Bible  teaching  offered. 

Upon  reaching  Calcutta  in  December,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Forrest 
at  once  found  more  work  than  their  hands  could  do.  Mr.  Forrest 
secured  rooms  for  his  Bible  classes  in  the  excellent  building  of 
the  Young  Men’s  Christian  Association,  and  immediately  com¬ 
menced  to  give  Bible  lectures  and  to  organize  Bible  classes.  In 
making  his  first  report,  in  1901,  he  gave  account  of  fifty-five  meet¬ 
ings  with  an  average  attendance  of  199.  He  had  delivered  ad¬ 
dresses  in  the  lecture  hall  of  the  Young  Men’s  Christian  Associa¬ 
tion  and  held  open  air  meetings.  He  found  men  eager  to  re¬ 
ceive  Bible  teaching.  The  close  of  the  second  year  found  the 
prospects  of  this  most  important  and  far-reaching  work  we  had 
yet  undertaken  in  India  increasingly  bright,  but  on  the  28th  of 
March,  1903,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Forrest  were  compelled  to  return  to 
the  home  land. 

Almost  from  the  beginning  of  her  residence  in  India  the  cli¬ 
mate  had  made  Mrs.  Forrest  Ill.  She  was  compelled  to  remain 
in  the  Himalaya  Mountains,  a  thousand  miles  away  from  her  hus¬ 
band.  Here  Baby  Robert  was  born,  and  here  his  little  form  was 
laid  to  rest. 

After  the  death  of  our  beloved  and  honored  President,  May  12, 
1902,  it  was  decided  to  erect  a  Mission  building  in  Calcutta  as  a 
memorial  to  her,  it  being  thought  no  more  fitting  tribute  could 
be  paid  her,  in  view  of  her  profound  interest  in  the  Calcutta  en¬ 
terprise.  A  little  more  than  $20,000  was  contributed  for  this  pur¬ 
pose.  It  is  now  expected  (May,  1905)  that  this  autumn  Mr.  For¬ 
rest  will  go  out  to  re-open  the  work,  accompanied  by  one  or  more 
missionaries.  Mr.  Forrest  will  remain  a  year  or  longer,  if  neces¬ 
sary,  to  assist  in  the  re-opening  of  the  work  and  the  erection  of 
the  Mission  building. 


CHRISTIAN  WOMAN’S  BOARD  OF  MISSIONS 


15 


RATH. 

Station  opened  November,  1902. 

Girls’  School  opened  January,  1903. 

Boys’  School  opened  February,  1903. 

Sunday  School  work  opened  January,  1903. 

Evangelistic  work  began  November,  1902. 

Zenana  work  began  December,  1902. 

Number  of  Christians,  12. 

The  work  in  Rath,  Hamirpur  District,  United  Provinces,  was 
commenced  in  November,  1902,  by  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Walter  G.  Men- 
zies,  of  Kansas.  This  station  is  known  as  the  Gerould  Memorial 
Station,  being  named  in  honor  of  Dr.  H.  Gerould,  of  Cleveland, 
Ohio,  for  years  a  trusted  friend  of  our  organization.  Dr.  Gerould 
was  called  into  the  presence  of  the  King  in  1901.  Later  Mrs. 
Gerould  visited  India,  selected  the  site  of  the  station,  purchased 
the  ground,  and  furnished  the  money  for  the  erection  of  the 
bungalow.  She  also  provides  Mr.  Menzies’  salary. 

In  July,  1903,  Mr.  Menzies  wrote:  “We  entered  Rath  the  mid¬ 
dle  of  November  last  year,  the  building  of  the  bungalow  claiming 
our  attention.  The  plot  of  ground,  situated  a  quarter  of  a  mile 
from  town,  covers  fully  three  acres.  The  bungalow,  facing  the 
west,  is  in  the  center  of  the  plot.  It  has  a  frontage  of  82  feet, 
the  width  being  42  feet,  including  verandas.  It  consists  of  a 
sitting  room,  dining  room  and  two  bedrooms,  all  of  equal  size. 

“The  inclosure  of  the  land  consists  of  a  wall  on  the  east  and 
west,  a  wire  fence  on  the  south  and  a  hedge  fence  on  the  north. 

“We  began  building  the  bungalow  November  19,  and  it  was 
ready  for  occupancy  May  20,  so  that,  with  the  exception  of  the 
veranda  roof,  all  the  above  work  was  completed  in  six  months.” 

In  1904-5  Mrs.  Gerould  again  visited  India  and  secured  an  ad¬ 
ditional  three  acres  of  most  desirable  orchard  land  adjoining  the 
first  purchase.  This  plot  contains  a  living  well  and  has  also  a 
fine  site  for  a  Mission  chapel,  which  is  to  be  immediately  erected. 
It  is  planned,  also,  that  a  Women’s  and  Babies’  Home  shall  be 
opened  in  Rath. 

Maudha. 

Work  opened  November  1,  1903. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Edwin  Davis  opened  the  work  in  Maudha,  Ham¬ 
irpur  District,  United  Provinces,  the  first  of  November,  1903. 
This  station  is  known  as  the  Ohio  Mission,  the  workers  of  that 


16 


HISTORICAL  SKETCH  OF  THE 


State  having  raised  the  money  to  send  out  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Davis 
and  to  erect  the  Mission  bungalow. 

In  July,  1904,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Davis  wrote: 

“The  first  season’s  work  of  the  Ohio  Mission  extended  from 
November  1,  1903,  to  the  following  July.  The  remaining  months 
we  spent  in  Mahoba,  substituting  for  regular  workers  there,  and 
in  study  at  the  hills.  Early  in  November,  1903,  we  pitched  our 
tent  on  the  site  of  the  Ohio  Mission.  The  first  audience  soon 
gathered,  to  which  we  spoke  as  best  we  could  of  our  purpose  in 
coming  and  of  the  love  of  our  Savior.  At  this  time  bazaar 
preaching  was  begun  twice  a  week,  with  Yahub  Ali  as  chief 
speaker.  In  this  manner,  and  one  year  from  the  date  of  the  ar¬ 
rival  of  your  missionaries  on  the  field,  the  work  of  the  Mission 
began  on  land  owned  by  our  National  Board.  The  deed  of  sale 
was  obtained  in  July,  1903. 

“We  rented  a  good  house  in  the  bazaar,  with  rooms  and  an 
open  court.  Our  object  was  to  have  a  meeting  place  for  preach¬ 
ing  on  Sundays,  which  would  be  more  quiet  than  the  bazaar  and 
where  interested  people  might  come  for  conversation.  Our  Sun¬ 
day  afternoon  meetings  in  the  open  court  were  quite  well  at¬ 
tended  until  the  hot  weather  drove  us  outside  under  some  large 
trees,  where  we  continued  to  meet  at  sunset  each  Lord’s  day. 

“The  people  of  Maiulha  are  chiefly  Mohammedans;  in  the  sur¬ 
rounding  villages  Hindus  predominate.  We  have  sold  several 
copies  of  the  Urdu  New  Testament,  and  have  given  away  hun¬ 
dreds  of  tracts  in  both  Urdu  and  Hindi.” 

The  Mission  bungalow  was  completed  in  the  spring  of  1905. 
Both  evangelistic  and  school  work  are  conducted. 


Missionaries  to  India,  1882-1905. 


Mary  Graybiel . 

Ada  Boyd . 

Laura  V.  Kinsey . 

Mary  Kingsbury . 

Dr.  Olivia  A.  Baldwin.. 
Dr.  Arabella  Merrill.... 

Kate  D.  Lawrence . 

Bertha  F.  Lohr . 

Ben  N.  Mitchell . 

Mrs.  Laura  V.  Mitchell 

Mattie  W.  Burgess . 

Ida  Kinsey . 


.1882  to  date 
1882  to  date 
.1882  to  1887 
.1882  to  date 
1888  to  1894 
1888  to  1894 
1890  to  1891 
.1893  to  date 
1893  to  1901 
1893  to  1901 
1893  to  date 
1893  to  1900 


CHRISTIAN  WOMAN’S  BOARD  OF  MISSIONS 


17 


Jane  Wakefield  Adam . 1894  to  date 

Mary  Graybiel . . . . 1894  to  date 

Adelaide  Gail  Frost . 1894  to  date 

Elsie  H.  Gordon . 1895  to  date 

Bessie  Farrar  . . 1895  to  date 

M.  Alice  Spradlin . 1895  to  1899 

Dr.  E.  C.  L.  Miller . 1895  to  1900 

Dr.  Lillian  B.  Miller . 1895  to  1900 

Dr.  Rosa  Lee  Oxer . 1891  to  date 

Ella  M.  Maddock . . . 1897  to  date 

Dr.  Ada  McNeil . 1897  to  date 

Olivia  A.  Baldwin . 1898  to  1901 

Anna  A.  Lackey . 1898  to  date 

C.  G.  Elsam . 1898  to  date 

Mrs.  C.  G.  Elsam . . . 1898  to  date 

Mary  M.  Longdon . . . 1899  to  date 

Susie  L.  Rawson . 1899  to  1904 

N.  Madsen . 1900  to  date 

Mr.  W.  M.  Forrest . 1900  to  1903 

Mrs.  W.  M.  Forrest . 1900  to  1903 

W.  G.  Menzies . 1901  to  date 

Mrs.  Hattie  Menzies . 1901  to  date 

Miss  Florence  Mills . 1902  to  date 

Edwin  C.  Davis . 1902  to  date 

Mrs.  Isabella  M.  Davis . 1902  to  date 

Miss  Zonetta  Vance . 1902  to  date 

Dr.  Martha  Smith . 1903  to  date 

Wilmer  Monroe . 1904  to  date 

Mrs.  Wilmer  Monroe . . . 1904  to  date 

Miss  Ora  Haight . 1904  to  date 

Dr.  Jenny  Crozier  . 1905  to  date 

E.  W.  Gordon,  appointed  to  sail  September,  1905. 

Miss  Daisy  Drake,  appointed  to  sail  September,  1905. 

Miss  Caroline  Pope,  appointed  to  sail  September,  1905. 

MEXICO. 

Station  opened  in  Juarez  December,  1895. 

Station  opened  in  Monterrey  June,  1897. 

Sunday  School  opened,  1897. 

Day  school  opened,  1897. 

Auxiliary  to  Christian  Woman’s  Board  of  Missions  organized, 
1899. 

Junior  Christian  Endeavor  Society  organized,  1899. 

Night  school  opened,  1900. 

Mexican  school  opened,  1901. 

Out-stations,  Union  Calzado,  Saltillo,  Alameda  Street  and 
Santa  Caterina. 

Y.  P.  S.  C.  E.  organized,  1903. 

Church  organized  September  14,  1901. 


18 


HISTORICAL  SKETCH  OF  THE 


Gospel  Gall  (later  changed  to  La  Via  de  Paz )  published  July, 
1901. 

Work  opened  in  Saltillo,  1903. 

Work  opened  in  Fuente,  1905. 

Juarez. 

In  the  Missionary  Tidings  for  December,  1895,  Mrs.  O.  A. 
Burgess  wrote:  “A  recommendation  was  passed  (in  the  National 
Convention  at  Dallas,  Texas)  in  favor  of  starting  a  school  in 
Mexico.  Our  sisters  in  Texas,  as  well  as  many  others,  were 
anxious  this  should  be  done.  The  school  if  begun  this  year  could 
not  be  delayed,  so  we  immediately  set  about  securing  the  build¬ 
ing  and  opening  the  school.  Juarez,  just  across  the  river  from 
El  Paso,  is  the  point  selected.  Brother  M.  L.  Hoblit,  who  has  had 
experience  in  school  work  among  the  Mexicans,  is  to  be  the 
teacher.  This  is  no  more  than  a  small  beginning  of  a  work  that 
ought  to  grow  into  a  power  for  good.” 

In  February,  1896,  Mr.  Hoblet  enlarged  the  work  by  the 
publication  of  a  fortnightly  paper,  El  Evangelista.  In  Septem¬ 
ber,  1896,  Miss  Bertha  C.  Mason,  of  Texas,  went  to  Juarez  to  aid 
in  the  development  of  the  work. 

On  the  20th  of  June,  1897,  the  work  was  transferred  to  Mon¬ 
terrey,  this  being  deemed  a  more  strategic  point  and  also  more 
healthful.  In  August,  1899,  Mr.  Hoblet  resigned  the  work.  In 
January,  1900,  he  was  succeeded  by  Mr.  and  Mrs.  L.  M.  Omer. 
Mrs.  Omer’s  health  necessitated  their  resignation  in  April,  1901. 
In  June,  the  same  year,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  A.  G.  Alderman  were  ap¬ 
pointed  to  succeed  them. 

Mr.  Alderman  found  our  Mission  situated  almost  beneath  the 
shadow  of  one  of  the  oldest  and  strongest  Roman  Churches  of  the 
city.  After  studying  the  possibilities  of  Monterrey  until  he  under¬ 
stood  its  tendency  in  growth,  he  located  in  a  newer  part  of  the 
city,  where  the  mission  had  a  large  and  open  field.  He  found  our 
school  with  about  thirty  pupils;  he  left  it  with  an  enrollment  of 
five  hundred.  He  organized  the  Church  in  Monterrey,  opened  new 
out-stations,  enlisted  the  interest  of  the  physicians  of  the  city 
in  the  Mission,  secured  for  it  a  free  clinic,  and  commenced  the 
publication  of  a  weekly  paper  in  Spanish  and  English.  He  had 
always  definite  plans,  and  did  not  lose  sight  of  them,  but  moved 
toward  their  realization  without  noise,  confusion  or  friction.  He 


CHRISTIAN  WOMAN’S  BOARD  OF  MISSIONS 


19 


passed  to  his  reward  September  23.  1903,  falling  a  victim  of  yel¬ 
low  fever. 

In  July,  1902,  Mr.  Alderman  recommended  the  purchase  of  a 
large  building  lot  on  the  corner  of  Isaac  Garza  and  Puebla 
streets.  The  Board  was  enabled  to  make  this  purchase  by  the 
generosity  of  the  Texas  workers,  who  gave  $1,000  toward  it.  In 
1903  and  1904  our  fine  Mission  building,  the  best  in  the  city,  was 
erected.  It  was  dedicated  by  President  W.  E.  Garrison,  of  Butler 
College,  Christmas  week,  1904.  In  October,  1904,  lots  adjoining 
the  Mission  property  were  purchased,  to  allow  the  enlargement 
of  the  school  grounds  and  as  a  site  for  the  erection  of  Mission 
homes. 

Missionaries  to  Mexico,  1895-1905. 


M.  L.  Hoblet . . 1895  to  1899 

Miss  Bertha  C.  Mason . 1895  to  1902 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  L.  M.  Omer- . 1900  to  1901 

Miss  Clara  L.  Case . 1900  to  date 

A.  G.  Alderman  (deceased) . 1901  to  1903 

Mrs.  Cora  E.  Alderman . 1901  to  date 

Miss  Lucile  Eubank . 1901  to  1904 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  T.  M.  Westrup . 1902  to  date 

Miss  Bertha  Westrup . . 1903  to  date 

Miss  Aida  Westrup . 1902  to  date 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  E.  T.  Westrup . 1903  to  date 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  J.  E.  McDaniel . 1904  to  1905 

Jasper  T.  Moses . 1904  to  date 


Miss  Elma  C.  Irelan  appointed  April,  1905. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  S.  G.  Inman  appointed  May,  1905. 

Miss  Mary  Robertson  appointed  June,  1905. 

PORTO  RICO. 

In  February,  1900,  Judge  J.  A.  Erwin,  then  a  missionary  un¬ 
der  the  American  Christian  Missionary  Society,  located  in  San 
Juan,  was  tendered  the  Municipal  building  of  Bayamon,  a  suburb 
of  San  Juan,  for  the  establishment  of  an  orphanage.  The  Amer¬ 
ican  Society,  not  engaging  in  orphanage  work,  offered  the  oppor¬ 
tunity  to  the  Christian  Woman’s  Board  of  Missions.  The  build¬ 
ing  had  been  seriously  damaged  by  a  storm  and  needed  exten¬ 
sive  repairs,  but  by  the  first  of  August,  1900,  it  had  been  put  in 
good  condition  and  was  opened  as  a  girls’  orphanage.  It  was  the 
first  orphanage  to  be  established  in  Porto  Rico  by  a  Protestant 
Church.  Mrs.  A.  M.  Fulien,  a  sister  of  Judge  Erwin,  was  placed 


20 


HISTORICAL  SKETCH  OF  THE 


in  charge  of  the  work  at  its  beginning.  The  agreement  with  the 
Bayamon  local  authorities  was  that  we  should  provide  for  twenty- 
five  children  in  the  orphanage.  This  number  was  soon  increased 
to  fifty,  and  has  been  kept  near  to  that  mark. 

Orphanage  School. 

In  September,  1901,  Miss  Nora  Collins,  of  Medina,  Ohio,  was 
sent  to  Bayamon  to  have  charge  of  the  Orphanage  School.  In 
the  full  Board  meeting,  held  in  St.  Louis,  in  connection  with  the 
National  Convention  of  1904,  it  was  decided  to  enlarge  this  de¬ 
partment  of  our  work  and  to  erect  a  school  building  in  Bayamon. 
At  this  time  (May,  1905)  a  suitable  building  site  has  not  been 
secured,  though  the  missionaries  are  working  faithfully  to  make 
the  necessary  purchase. 

Boys’  Industrial  School. 

In  1902  the  authorities  of  the  Bayamon  District  made  our 
organization  an  offer  of  three  hundred  dollars  a  year  if  we  would 
undertake  to  establish  a  Boys’  Orphanage  and  Industrial  School 
in  or  near  Bayamon.  In  June,  1902,  A.  G.  Alderman,  of  Monter¬ 
rey,  Mexico,  was  sent  to  Porto  Rico  to  act  as  our  agent  in  the  pur¬ 
chase  of  a  farm  for  the  opening  of  this  work.  A  tract  of  114 
acres  was  purchased  about  a  mile  and  a  half  from  Bayamon.  In 
the  autumn  of  1903  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wilkinson,  of  Nebraska,  were 
sent  out  to  have  charge  of  this  work.  Much  was  done  by  them 
in  developing  the  farm  and  preparing  it  for  the  future,  but  the 
long  and  severe  sickness  of  Mr.  Wilkinson  compelled  the  return 
of  the  family  to  the  United  States  in  the  spring  of  1905.  At  this 
time  the  work  was  placed  in  the  hands  of  Dr.  and  Mrs.  W.  A. 
Alton,  also  of  Nebraska.  In  May,  1905,  plans  for  the  erection  of 
the  orphanage  building  were  adopted. 

In  April,  1905,  after  conference  with  the  Secretary  of  the 
American  Christian  Missionary  Society,  arrangements  were  made 
for  the  gradual  taking  on  by  our  organization  of  the  work  done 
by  the  American  Society  in  Porto  Rico.  It  being  thought  better 
for  the  stations  to  be  under  one  management. 

Missionaries  in  Porto  Rico  from  1900  to  1905. 


Mrs.  A.  M.  Fullen . 1900  to  1902 

Miss  Nora  Collins . 1901  to  date 


CHRISTIAN  WOMAN’S  BOARD  OF  MISSIONS 


21 


Mrs.  M.  R.  Ford . 1902  to  date 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  H.  G.  Wilkinson . 1903  to  1905 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  W.  A.  Alton . 1905  to  date 


Miss  Nora  E.  Siler  appointed  May,  1905. 

SOUTH  AMERICA. 

In  the  annual  Board  meeting,  held  in  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  in  con¬ 
nection  with  the  National  Convention  of  1904,  it  was  decided  we 
should,  during  the  missionary  year  of  1904-5,  if  possible,  open 
work  in  the  Argentine  Republic,  South  America.  In  February, 
1905,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  W.  J.  Burner,  of  Illinois,  were  appointed  to 
open  this  work.  In  May,  1905,  it  was  decided  they  should  be 
asked  to  go  as  soon  as  they  could  prepare  for  the  journey.  They 
are  expected  to  start  in  July,  1905. 

THE  UNITED  STATES. 

Forms  of  Work:  Evangelistic,  Pastoral,  University  Bible, 
School,  Industrial  and  Organizing.  Number  of  workers  in  1905, 
176. 

First  Work. 

The  first  missionary  enterprise  of  the  Christian  Woman’s 
Board  of  Missions  in  the  United  States  was  undertaken  for  the 
negroes  in  Jackson,  Miss.  In  1881  Mr.  and  Mrs.  R.  Faurot  were 
sent  to  give  them  the  same  kind  of  help  we  were  giving  to  the 
people  of  Jamaica.  After  thirteen  months  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Faurot 
assumed  charge  of  the  Southern  Christian  Institute  at  Edwards, 
Miss.,  and  the  work  at  Jackson  was  discontinued. 

Western  Work. 

In  1881  Miss  M.  Lou  Payne,  of  Missouri,  recommended  co¬ 
operation  with  the  American  Christian  Missionary  Society  in  its 
work  for  the  West.  A  circular  was  issued,  calling  for  special 
offerings  for  the  West,  but  the  response  was  not  encouraging.  In 
August,  1882,  J.  W.  Mountjoy,  of  Missouri,  visited  Montana,  meet¬ 
ing  the  Montana  Association  in  Helena.  It  was  decided  to  pro¬ 
pose  to  our  Board  to  appropriate  $1,000  to  work  in  Montana,  pro¬ 
vided  the  Association  would  raise  another  $1,000.  This  plan  was 
executed  in  1883.  The  American  Christian  Missionary  Society 
left  this  field  for  our  Board,  and  it  has  attended  to  it  since.  In 
1881  there  were  no  Church  buildings  in  Montana,  and  but  two 


22 


HISTORICAL  SKETCH  OP  THE 


congregations,  those  at  Helena  and  Deer  Lodge.  In  1904  there 
were  seventeen  Church  buildings  and  twenty  congregations. 

Extension  in  the  Home  Field. 

Following  the  openings  in  the  home  field  other  opportunities 
for  service  were  accepted,  until  the  Christian  Woman’s  Board  of 
Missions  has  done  evangelist  or  pastoral  work  in  the  following 
named  States:  Montana,  Colorado,  Utah,  California,  Nevada, 
Idaho,  Oregon,  Washington,  Arizona,  New  Mexico,  Indian  Terri¬ 
tory,  Oklahoma,  Arkansas,  Kansas,  Nebraska,  South  Dakota, 
Minnesota,  Iowa,  Wisconsin,  Michigan,  Missouri,  Illinois,  In¬ 
diana,  Ohio,  Kentucky,  West  Virginia,  Maryland,  North  Carolina, 
South  Carolina,  Florida,  Georgia,  Louisiana,  District  of  Colum¬ 
bia,  Pennsylvania,  New  York,  Vermont,  Massachusetts,  Maine  and 
Connecticut. 

Educational  Work. 

Mountain  Schools. 

The  Mountain  Mission  School  at  Hazel  Green,  Ky.,  was  for¬ 
mally  adopted  by  the  Christian  Woman’s  Board  of  Missions  in  the 
National  Convention  of  1886,  the  Kentucky  members  of  the  Na¬ 
tional  Board  were  appointed  to  initiate  the  work.  This  school 
has  grown  until,  in  1905,  it  has  an  enrollment  of  226.  The  build¬ 
ings  are  Pearre  Hall,  a  large  brick  school  and  dormitory  build¬ 
ing,  worth  $10,000;  the  Sarah  K.  Yancey  Home  for  Girls,  worth 
$6,000;  the  students’  cottage  and  Swango  cottage. 

In  March,  1900,  during  the  Congress  of  Disciples,  held  in  In¬ 
dianapolis,  Ind.,  President  J.  W.  McGarvey,  of  the  College  of  the 
Bible,  Lexington,  Ky.,  spoke  with  members  of  our  Executive 
Committee  concerning  the  transfer  to  our  organization  of  the 
Mountain  Mission  school  at  Morehead,  Ky.  This  school  was 
then  controlled  by  the  State  Missionary  Board  of  Kentucky.  Fol¬ 
lowing  this  conversation  full  conference  was  had  with  our  work¬ 
ers.  The  State  officers  of  Kentucky  were  asked  to  act  as  an  ad¬ 
visory  committee  and  to  report  to  the  National  Board.  In  ac¬ 
cordance  with  the  wishes  of  the  members  of  this  committee, 
Mrs.  Atkinson,  Mrs.  Moses  and  Mrs.  Darnall  met  with  them  and 
visited  Morehead.  The  committee,  after  this  visit  and  conference, 
recommended  the  acceptance  of  the  offer  of  the  Kentucky  Mis- 


CHRISTIAN  WOMAN’S  BOARD  OF  MISSIONS 


23 


sionary  Board.  The  work  was  placed  in  charge  of  Prof.  F.  C. 
Button,  who,  in  connection  with  his  mother,  Mrs.  Plioehe  But¬ 
ton,  had  opened  the  school  thirteen  years  before,  when  the 
Rowan  County  feud  made  it  a  menace  to  life  to  enter  More- 
head.  Since  taking  on  this  school,  which  at  that  time  was 
valued  at  $8,000,  Burgess  Hall  has  been  erected  and  other  im¬ 
provements  made,  until  the  school  plant  now  is  worth  $30,000. 
The  enrollment  is  406.  Adjunct  schools  are  conducted  at  Rod- 
bourn  and  Soldier,  adjacent  towns. 

University  Bible  Work. 

In  1886  the  Michigan  State  Board  of  Missions  named  Ann 
Arbor  as  a  most  important  point  for  the  Disciples  to  plant  a 
Church  when  the  way  should  open  for  it.  At  once  the  Christian 
Woman’s  Missionary  Society  of  Michigan  and  the  Christian 
Woman’s  Board  of  Missions  began  planning  to  accomplish  this 
work.  At  that  time  Mrs.  Sarah  Hawley  Scott  was  a  member  of 
the  Central  Church  of  Christ  in  Detroit,  and  of  the  Auxiliary  in 
that  Church.  In  February,  1887,  she  rested  from  her  labors. 
She  bequeathed  most  of  her  estate  to  her  Auxiliary,  the  Christian 
Woman’s  Board  of  Missions,  the  Michigan  State  Board  and  the 
American  Christian  Missionary  Society.  These  four  parties  soon 
agreed  among  themselves  that  all  the  bequests,  amounting  to 
$12,590.33,  should  be  used  in  the  erection  of  a  Church  building  in 
Ann  Arbor,  with  the  understanding  that  the  Christian  Woman’s 
Board  of  Missions  take  charge  of  the  work  and  foster  a  mission 
there.  A  lot  was  purchased  by  the  Disciples  of  Michigan,  and 
the  foundation  for  the  building  laid  in  1888.  Delays  in  settling 
the  Scott  estate  and  in  securing  additional  funds  so  retarded  the 
work  that  it  was  not  completed  till  1891.  The  entire  cost,  includ¬ 
ing  lot,  heating,  furniture,  etc.,  was  about  $17,000.  C.  A.  Young 
began  work  as  pastor  August  15,  1891.  The  dedicatory  services 
were  held  October  11,  B.  B.  Tyler,  of  New  York,  preaching  the 
sermon.  The  Church  was  organized  October  25,  with  twenty-nine 
members,  most  of  them  students  in  the  University. 

At  the  State  Convention  of  Michigan,  August  27,  1892,  “a 
committee  was  appointed  to  make  arrangements  for  the  endow¬ 
ment  of  an  English  Bible  Chair,  at  Ann  Arbor,  Mich.,  in  connec¬ 
tion  with  the  University.”  This  committee  earnestly  appealed 


24 


HISTORICAL  SKETCH  OF  THE 


to  the  Christian  Woman’s  Board  of  Missions  to  undertake  this 
work.  It  was  carefully,  prayerfully  considered  by  the  Executive 
Committee  and  approved.  At  the  Nashville  Convention,  in  Octo¬ 
ber  following,  the  President,  Mrs.  Burgess,  in  her  annual  ad¬ 
dress,  recommended  it.  This  was  a  new  departure.  No  such 
thing  existed,  the  world  over.  She  said:  “The  way  is  open,  if  we 
have  the  courage  to  undertake  it,  for  the  establishment  of  an  Eng¬ 
lish  Bible  Chair,  at  the  seat  of  the  University  of  Michigan.  The 
great  University  is  already  established  there,  and  the  courtesies 
of  the  institution  are  offered  to  us.  The  demand  for  Bible  study 
can  be  met  by  endowing  a  chair  and  putting  a  competent  teacher 
in  charge.”  It  was  a  heroic  step,  but  she  had  studied  the  matter, 
she  had  faith,  and  she  went  forward.  The  recommendation  was 
freely  discussed  and  indorsed  by  many  representative  brothers 
and  sisters  in  the  Convention,  and  then  referred  to  a  committee, 
which  reported  recommending  that  the  Executive  Committee  be 
instructed  to  select  some  one  to  travel,  to  encourage  and  advance 
this  enterprise  as  much  as  possible  during  the  coming  year,  “with 
the  distinct  understanding  that  the  treasury  of  the  Christian 
Woman's  Board  of  Missions  is  not  to  be  drawn  upon  for  this 
purpose."  This  was  unanimously  adopted  by  the  Convention  and 
warmly  approved  by  J.  W.  McGarvey,  J.  H.  Garrison,  B.  B.  Tyler 
and  others.  The  Executive  Committee  followed  the  instructions 
given  it.  C.  A.  Young  was  sent  into  the  field  and  H.  L.  Willett 
called  to  the  Ann  Arbor  pulpit  during  his  absence.  The  work 
of  the  Bible  Chairs  began  October  1,  1893,  with  H.  L.  Willett,  in¬ 
structor,  and  Clinton  Lockhart,  assistant.  Clinton  Lockhart  re¬ 
signed  at  the  end  of  the  first  year.  Then  the  work  was  carried 
on  by  Messrs.  Willett  and  Young  till  February,  1895,  when  Mr. 
Willett  having  taken  work  in  Chicago  University,  G.  P.  Coler  was 
secured  for  the  Bible  Chair  work.  Under  his  direction  it  has 
grown  steadily  in  service  to  the  students  of  the  University.  One 
thousand  five  hundred  students  have  been  enrolled  in  its  classes. 
These  are  now  in  almost  every  State  in  the  Union,  and  in  China, 
India,  Africa,  Japan,  Persia,  Turkey  and  Mexico.  In  all  these 
lands  they  are  giving  a  clear  note  of  testimony  to  the  truth  of 
God’s  Word,  as  they  go  forward  joyfully  in  His  service.  In  July, 
1903,  through  the  generosity  of  two  friends,  a  good  home  for  the 
work  was  purchased. 


CHRISTIAN  WOMAN’S  BOARD  OF  MISSIONS 


25 


In  1897  it  was  decided  to  make  the  effort  to  increase  the  en¬ 
dowment  fund  of  the  English  Bible  Chair  to  $25,000.  There  was 
$8,000  in  the  fund  at  that  time.  Mrs.  Helen  E.  Moses  was  called 
in  July,  1898,  to  serve  as  Secretary  of  this  work  and  to  raise  the 
endowment.  It  was  completed  in  the  autumn  of  1899. 

At  the  annual  meeting  of  the  National  Board  held  in  connec¬ 
tion  with  the  National  Convention  in  Indianapolis,  Ind.,  in  1897, 
Col.  John  B.  Cary,  of  Richmond,  Va.,  presented  the  need  of  Bible 
teaching  at  the  University  of  Virginia,  and  urged  the  Board  to  un¬ 
dertake  it.  Prof.  H.  L.  Willett  was  sent  to  the  University  of 
Virginia  that  winter  to  give  a  course  of  Bible  lectures,  which  were 
well  received.  The  following  season  Prof.  C.  A.  Young  was  sent 
to  the  University  and  placed  in  charge  of  the  work.  In  1898 
Colonel  Cary  died.  His  family,  knowing  his  great  desire  for 
permanent  Bible  teaching  at  the  University  of  Virginia,  his  alma 
mater,  gave  $10,000  to  establish  the  John  B.  Cary  Bible  Lecture¬ 
ship  in  connection  with  the  University  of  Virginia.  This  gift 
was  announced  at  the  National  Convention  of  1898.  An  endow¬ 
ment  of  $25,000  was  completed  in  1901,  our  silver  anniversary 
year.  The  Virginia  friends  gave  most  liberally,  and  twenty  other 
States  contributed  to  it.  No  building  is  owned  for  the  conduct 
of  this  work.  Lectures  are  delivered  and  classes  held  in  rooms 
furnished  by  the  University  authorities.  Prof.  W.  M.  Forrest  was 
placed  in  charge  of  this  work  in  1903,  and  still  directs  it. 

The  Auxiliaries  of  Kansas  had  been  interested  in  University 
Bible  work  from  its  inception  in  1892,  and  earnestly  desired  such 
work  might  be  established  for  the  benefit  of  the  students  of  the 
State  University  at  Lawrence.  The  need  of  such  work  was  ear¬ 
nestly  presented  to  the  Executive  Committee  of  the  Board  at  vari¬ 
ous  times.  In  February,  1900,  Prof.  G.  P.  Coler,  of  the  Ann  Arbor, 
Mich.,  Bible  Chair,  was  sent  to  Lawrence,  Kans.,  to  offer  a  series 
of  lectures  and  to  give  his  judgment  as  to  the  wisdom  of  inaugu¬ 
rating  the  work.  His  lectures  were  heartily  received,  and  he  con¬ 
sidered  the  opportunity  a  fine  one  for  the  establishment  of  a  Bible 
Chair.  In  April,  1901,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  W.  C.  Payne  were  placed  in 
charge  of  this  work  and  remain  with  it.  Their  efforts  have 
been  crowned  with  abundant  success.  Early  in  1902  we  were  en¬ 
abled  to  purchase  a  home  for  the  Bible  work  through  the  generous 
gifts  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  C.  A.  Beurgan,  of  Moline,  Kans. 

In  March,  1905,  Mrs.  Mary  Myers,  of  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  gave 


26 


HISTORICAL  SKETCH  OF  THE 


$5,000  toward  the  erection  of  a  Bible  Chair  Hall  adjoining  the 
home,  pledging  another  $5,000  toward  it,  to  be  paid  in  September, 
1905.  Kansas  friends  have  added  gifts  to  this  of  Mrs.  Myers,  and 
the  work  of  building  begins  in  June,  1905.  There  is  no  special 
endowment  fund  for  the  Kansas  University  Bible  work;  it  is  sup¬ 
ported  from  the  General  Fund. 

The  friends  in  Texas  watched  the  growth  of  the  University 
Bible  work  with  deep  interest,  feeling  the  wisdom  and  need  of 
such  an  enterprise  in  behalf  of  the  students  of  their  own  State 
University  at  Austin.  Among  those  who  were  vitally  interested 
was  Mrs.  M.  M.  Blanks,  of  Lockhart.  In  1903  a  pledge  was  made 
the  State  officers  and  Mrs.  Blanks  that  an  experienced  man  would 
be  sent  to  Austin  to  study  the  field  and  give  his  judgment  as  to 
the  wisdom  of  establishing  Bible  work  for  the  University  stu¬ 
dents.  In  February,  1904,  Prof.  W.  C.  Payne,  of  the  Kansas  Uni¬ 
versity  Bible  Chair,  was  sent  to  Texas  to  spend  a  month  in  study¬ 
ing  the  field  and  its  needs.  He  was  convinced  that  the  opening 
was  a  fine  one,  and  recommended  the  beginning  of  the  work.  On 
account  of  the  condition  of  the  General  Fund  the  workers  in 
Texas  pledged  themselves  to  meet  the  expenses  of  the  enterprise 
as  one  of  the  special  objects  of  the  State.  Mrs.  Blanks  gave  her 
notes  for  $9,000,  paying  generous  interest  on  the  same,  also  gave 
lots  adjoining  the  University  campus  valued  at  $1,000.  In  Au¬ 
gust,  1904,  the  State  officers  wrote,  asking  the  purchase  of  an  ex¬ 
cellent  property  facing  the  University  campus,  to  be  used  as  a 
home  for  the  Bible  classes.  The  action  of  the  Texas  workers  was 
approved  and  the  purchase  made.  In  May,  1905,  F.  L.  Jewett,  of 
Columbus,  Kans.,  was  placed  in  charge  of  the  enterprise. 

The  Chinese  Mission. 

The  Chinese  Mission  in  Portland,  Ore.,  was  opened  in  Jan¬ 
uary,  1891,  by  the  First  Church  of  Portland,  while  it  was  one  of 
the  mission  points  of  our  Board,  under  the  pastoral  care  of  David 
Wetzell.  At  the  National  Convention  of  that  year,  held  in  Nash¬ 
ville,  Tenn.,  October  17-19,  our  Board  pledged  $300  toward  the 
support  of  the  Chinese  Mission  School,  the  Church  supplying  a 
like  amount.  On  account  of  a  lack  of  teachers  the  work  was  tem¬ 
porarily  suspended  in  June,  1892.  In  November  of  that  year  Jeu 
Hawk,  a  Christian  Chinese,  a  graduate  of  Drake  University,  was 


CHRISTIAN  WOMAN’S  BOARD  OF  MISSIONS 


27 


selected  by  our  Board  and  placed  in  charge  of  the  mission,  re¬ 
maining  with  it  until  1900,  when  he  returned  to  his  native  land. 
At  this  time  Louie  Hugh  and  wife,  also  Christian  Chinese,  were 
placed  in  charge  and  still  remain  in  faithful  servce  to  it.  Night 
and  Sunday  School,  street  preaching  and  house-to-house  visiting 
are  regularly  carried  forward.  Since  the  organization  a  few 
more  than  one  hundred  Chinese  have  become  Christians.  Several 
have  returned  to  their  native  land  as  ministers  of  the  Word  of 
God.  The  mission  supports  one  of  these  workers,  and  contributes 
to  the  funds  of  our  organization  each  month. 

Negro  Work. 

During  the  National  Convention  of  1900  it  was  decided  that  the 
Christian  Woman’s  Board  of  Missions  should  become  responsible 
for  the  work  of  negro  education  and  evangelization  among  our 
people,  relieving  the  American  Christian  Missionary  Society.  At 
that  time  the  Board  of  Negro  Education  and  Evangelization  was 
supporting  the  Southern  Christian  Institute  at  Edwards,  Miss., 
the  Lum  Graded  School  at  Lum,  Ala.,  and  the  Louisville  Bible 
School  at  Louisville,  Ky.,  beside  evangelistic  work  in  several 
States. 

The  Southern  Christian  Institute. 

This  is  an  industrial  training  school  for  negroes.  It  is 
located  one  and  one-half  miles  from  Edwards,  Miss.  The  original 
plantation  contains  800  acres.  In  1904,  500  acres  more  were  pur¬ 
chased.  The  school  has  literary,  biblical,  musical  and  industrial 
departments.  For  these  lines  of  work  there  are  buildings,  as 
named:  College  building,  girls’  and  boys’  dormitories,  the  old 
mansion  house,  factory,  printing  office,  laundry,  barn  and  cotton 
sheds.  The  value  of  the  property  is  $65,000.  This  school  was 
opened  in  1874.  There  are  in  the  school  one  hundred  pupils. 

The  Louisville  Bible  School. 

This  school  was  opened  in  the  autumn  of  1893,  and  during 
the  years  that  have  passed  since  then  it  has  been  in  the  care  of 
Prof.  A.  J.  Thomson.  The  property  on  Duncan  street,  in  which  it 
has  its  home,  was  purchased  in  1900.  Its  value  is  $4,000.  It  was 
a  gift  from  the  Kentucky  Churches.  The  purpose  of  the  school  is 
to  train  men  for  the  ministry  of  the  Word.  It  is  for  negro  young 


28 


HISTORICAL  SKETCH  OF  THE 


men  who  are  willing  to  work  their  way  through  the  school,  which 
gives  them  a  real  home  and  genuine  ministerial  training.  There 
are  conveniences  for  them  to  do  their  cooking  and  laundering. 
Good  dormitory  accommodations  are  also  provided.  From  twenty- 
five  to  thirty-five  young  men  are  in  attendance. 

The  Lum,  Ala.,  Graded  School. 

This  school  is  located  at  Lum,  Lowndes  County,  Alabama, 
thirty-five  miles  southwest  of  Montgomery,  in  the  blackest  part  of 
the  Black  Belt.  The  school  was  opened  in  1894  by  two  negro  men 
who  had  attended  the  Southern  Christian  Institute  and  longed 
for  educational  advantages  for  their  own  and  their  neighbors’ 
children.  A  small  piece  of  land  was  given  by  a  white  woman 
upon  which  to  erect  the  school  building.  The  two  men  made  the 
plans  for  the  house  and  mortgaged  their  crops  to  secure  the  lum¬ 
ber.  About  this  time  C.  C.  Smith  visited  Lum  and  saw  the  heroic 
struggles  of  these  negroes  for  educational  advantages.  He  re¬ 
turned  to  Ohio  and  told  the  story  to  Daniel  Mercer,  who  gave  him 
one  hundred  dollars  to  lift  the  mortgage  from  the  little  school- 
house.  There  is  now  on  the  campus  a  school  building  with  four 
classrooms  and  a  chapel,  a  neat  Church,  a  dormitory,  a  sewing 
room,  home  for  the  principal,  a  blacksmith  shop  and  a  barn.  The 
industrial  department  is  steadily  growing.  There  are  about  one 
hundred  and  fifty  pupils  in  attendance. 

The  Martinsville,  Va.,  Christian  Institute. 

This  school  was  opened  in  1900  for  the  negroes  of  Virginia 
and  North  Carolina.  Jas.  H.  Thomas  is  the  principal.  The  school 
property  was  purchased  in  February,  1901.  The  efficiency  of  the 
school  has  steadily  increased.  A  dormitory  is  much  needed.  The 
enrollment  for  1904  was  fifty. 

OFFICERS  SINCE  1874, 

Mrs.  Maria  Jameson  was  President  from  October,  1874,  to 
October,  1880;  Mrs.  O.  A.  Burgess  from  October,  1880,  to  March, 
1881,  when  she  resigned  on  removing  to  Chicago.  Then  Mrs. 
Jameson  was  again  called  to  this  position  and  served  till  October, 
1890.  From  that  date  until  June,  1902,  when  she  was  called  from 


CHRISTIAN  WOMAN’S  BOARD  OP  MISSIONS 


29 


labor  to  reward,  Mrs.  Burgess  served  as  President.  She  was  suc¬ 
ceeded  by  Mrs.  Nancy  E.  Atkinson,  who  had  long  been  associated 
with  her  as  Vice  President.  Mrs.  Atkinson  still  serves. 

Mrs.  C.  N.  Pearre  was  Corresponding  Secretary  from  October, 
1874,  to  October,  1875;  Mrs.  Sarah  Wallace  till  October,  1880; 
Mrs.  Jameson  to  March,  1881;  Mrs.  Sarah  E.  Shortridge,  March, 
1881,  to  April  1,  1890,  when  she  fell  asleep  in  Christ;  Miss  Lois  A. 
White  from  April,  1890,  to  October,  1899;  Mrs.  Helen  E.  Moses 
from  October,  1899,  to  present  time. 

Mrs.  Sarah  Wallace  was  Recording  Secretary  from  1874  to 
1876;  Miss  Marie  Cole  from  1876  to  1878;  Mrs.  Naomi  Tomlinson, 
1878  to  1880;  Mrs.  Lizzie  A.  Moore,  1880  to  1887;  Mrs.  Sarah  Wal¬ 
lace,  1887  to  1889;  Mrs.  Annie  B.  Morrison,  1889  to  present  time. 
In  1894  she  married  Col.  S.  F.  Gray. 

Mrs.  O.  A.  Burgess  was  Treasurer  from  1874  to  1878;  Mrs. 
R.  T.  Brown,  1878  to  1880;  Mrs.  Mary  C.  Cole,  1880  to  1890;  Mrs. 
J.  R.  Ryan,  1890  to  1892;  Miss  Mary  J.  Judson,  1892  to  present 
date. 


EXECUTIVE  COMMITTEE. 

This  committee,  as  described  under  “Organization,”  soon  be¬ 
came  cumbrous.  In  1886  the  Constitution  was  so  amended  as  to 
omit  the  State  Managers.  Also,  instead  of  having  a  Vice  Presi¬ 
dent  in  each  State,  that  there  should  be  State  Presidents  only, 
and  a  National  Vice  President  was  provided  for.  Mrs.  O.  A.  Bur¬ 
gess  thus  served  the  Board  from  1887  to  1890;  Mrs.  Mary  Arm¬ 
strong,  1890  to  1892;  Mrs.  Nancy  E.  Atkinson  from  1892  until 
1902,  when  she  was  succeeded  by  Mrs.  Effie  Cunningham,  who 
served  until  October,  1904,  when  she  was  succeeded  by  Mrs.  Anna 
R.  Atwater,  who  is  now  in  office.  The  State  Presidents  and  Secre¬ 
taries  were  continued  members  of  the  committee,  having  each  a 
proxy  vote  on  important  matters.  The  Executive  Committee 
meets  regularly  the  first  and  third  Wednesdays  of  each  month  in 
all-day  sessions,  at  the  office  in  Indianapolis,  in  the  interest  of  the 
work.  These  ought  to  be  to  all  members  of  the  organization 
everywhere  days  of  effectual,  fervent  prayer,  that  wisdom  from 
above  in  large  measure  may  be  given  to  these  women  as  they  con¬ 
sider  the  important  and  often  very  complicated  and  perplexing 
problems  that  come  to  them  for  solution. 


r 


historical  sketch  op  the 


So 

The  terms  Executive  Committee,  National  Board,  Local  Com¬ 
mittee  and  Local  Board  have  been  used  very  indiscriminately. 
Even  in  the  General  Constitution  distinctions  were  not  clearly 
drawn.  To  obviate  this  difficulty  a  committee  was  appointed  in 
1904  to  examine  the  General,  or  National,  Constitution  and  make 
clear  the  distinction  between  the  National  Board  and  the  Execu¬ 
tive  Committee  of  that  Board.  The  changes  recommended  by  the 
committee  were  voted  upon  by  the  members  of  the  National  Board 
and  the  vote  read  in  the  executive  meeting  of  April  5,  1905.  The 
vote  sustained  the  changes  recommended. 

The  National  Board  consists  of  the  six  National  officers,  Pres¬ 
ident,  Vice  President,  Corresponding  and  Recording  Secretaries, 
Treasurer  and  Superintendent  of  Children’s  Work;  the  five  resi¬ 
dent  members  and  the  State  President  and  Corresponding  Secre¬ 
tary  of  each  State  co-operating  in  the  work.  The  Executive  Com¬ 
mittee  of  this  Board  is  composed  of  the  National  officers  and  resi¬ 
dent  members.  The  National  Board  meets  annually  in  connec¬ 
tion  with  the  National  Convention.  The  Executive  Committee 
meets  the  first  and  third  Wednesdays  of  each  month. 

MEMBERSHIP  IN  THE  GENERAL 
ORGANIZATION. 

Until  1890  the  payment  of  one  dollar  made  one  an  Annual 
Member  of  the  general  organization  of  the  Christian  Woman’s 
Board  of  Missions,  just  as  the  payment  of  one  dollar  and  twenty 
cents  made  one  a  member  of  any  one  of  its  local  Auxiliaries.  At 
that  time  (1890)  the  terms  of  Annual  Membership  were  advanced 
to  five  dollars.  Life  Memberships  in  the  general  organization 
may  be  secured  by  the  payment  of  twenty-five  dollars.  This 
amount  may  be  paid  in  full  or  paid  within  two  years  in  not  more 
than  two  installments,  which  need  not  be  equal.  This  was  the 
plan  from  the  beginning  of  the  work.  In  the  missionary  year 
1899-1900  the  article  of  our  Constitution  relating  to  Annual  and 
Life  Memberships  was  changed  to  read:  “Any  person  may  be¬ 
come  a  member  of  this  Association  by  contributing  a  sum  of  not 
less  than  $5  a  year  to  its  funds,  and  by  the  payment  of  $25  in 
two  years  in  not  more  than  two  installments,  or  by  taking  five 
consecutive  Annual  Memberships,  any  person  may  become  a  Life 
Member.” 


Christian  woman’s  board  or  missions  Si 

STATE  DEVELOPMENT. 

At  the  close  of  the  State  meeting  at  Eureka,  Ill.,  September, 
1874,  Miss  E.  J.  Dickinson  called  together  the  sisters  in  attend¬ 
ance,  and  explained  to  them  the  work  to  which  Mrs.  Pearre  was 
calling  all  our  sisterhood.  This  was  six  weeks  before  the  Chris¬ 
tian  Woman’s  Board  of  Missions  was  organized.  She  had  already 
formed  a  Woman’s  Missionary  Society  in  her  home  Church  at 
Eureka,  and  insisted  that  those  present  do  the  same  thing  in  their 
home  Churches.  Several  brethren  attended  this  meeting,  among 
them  the  late  Ira  J.  Chase,  then  pastor  of  the  Church  at  Peoria. 
He  was  much  interested,  urged  and  induced  the  meeting  to  form 
a  State  organization  and  to  send  one  of  their  number  out  among 
the  Churches  in  the  State  to  form  local  missionary  societies. 
Later  other  States  sent  out  organizers  as  they  could  arrange  for 
them.  In  1890  Mrs..  Persis  L.  Christian,  of  Arkansas,  was  ap¬ 
pointed  National  Organizer.  She  supplemented  the  work  of  the 
State  Organizers,  assisting  and  often  directing  them.  She  visited 
States  not  able  to  sustain  an  Organizer  regularly,  and  strength¬ 
ened  them,  organizing  new  Auxiliaries  and  encouraging  those 
already  formed.  In  the  National  Convention  held  in  Nashville  in 
1892,  Miss  E.  J.  Dickinson,  of  Illinois,  offered  a  resolution  favor¬ 
ing  the  creation  of  a  State  Fund  for  the  work  of  organizing  and 
strengthening  Auxiliaries  by  the  payment  of  fifty  cents  a  year 
from  each  Auxiliary  member  for  this  purpose,  ten  per  cent,  of 
this  amount  to  go  to  the  National  treasury  to  be  used  for  organ¬ 
izing  Auxiliaries  in  undeveloped  States.  Mrs.  Christian  spoke  in 
favor  of  this  plan.  Miss  Dickinson’s  resolution  was  favorably 
voted  upon  by  the  Convention.  The  plan  of  paying  five  cents  a 
month  for  the  work  of  State  development  by  each  Auxiliary  mem¬ 
ber  was  adopted  by  many  Societies.  A  number  of  the  organized 
States  felt  the  time  had  not  yet  come  to  take  this  step,  hence  pay¬ 
ment  to  the  State  Development  Fund  was  not  made  obligatory 
until  the  National  Convention  of  1904,  held  in  St.  Louis,  Mo., 
when  Article  IIP  of  the  Auxiliary  Constitution  was  revised  to 
read:  “Any  person  may  become  a  member  of  this  Society  by  sub¬ 
scribing  to  this  Constitution,  promising  to  aid  in  furthering  the 
objects  herein  named,  and  to  contribute  monthly  a  definite  sum, 
not  less  than  ten  cents,  to  the  National  treasury  for  the  General 


32 


HISTORICAL  SKETCH  OF  THE 


Fund,  and  five  cents  to  the  State  treasury  for  the  State  Develop¬ 
ment  Fund.” 

THE  CHILDREN’S  WORK. 

Organizing  and  training  the  children  systematically  for  mis¬ 
sion  work  was  begun  by  our  Board  in  1884,  and  placed  in  care  of 
a  National  Superintendent,  Mrs.  Joseph  King.  A  few  Mission 
Bands  had  been  formed  before  that  time,  but  they  were  working 
independently.  In  1885  Mrs.  King  reported  the  department  well 
started  and  growing,  but  the  children  wanted  some  definite  ob¬ 
ject  to  work  for  as  their  own  special  business.  While  the  Board 
was  casting  about  for  some  suitable  work  for  them,  the  sad  news 
came  from  Japan  that  Mrs.  Josephine  Smith  had  fallen  asleep  in 
that  far-away  land.  Then  came  the  thought  of  erecting  a  chapel 
to  her  memory  in  Akita,  where  she  lived  and  labored  and  died. 
With  one  mind  the  children  took  hold  of  it.  In  1886  Mrs.  King 
reported  that  the  needed  amount,  $1,700,  was  in  the  treasury. 
Building  was  made  their  special  work,  and  they  have  been  build¬ 
ing  homes,  chapels,  school,  orphanages,  hospitals  and  dispensaries 
almost  constantly  since  that  time.  The  work  of  supporting  the 
children  in  our  orphanages  has  also  been  assigned  them,  and  they 
have  toiled  bravely  at  that  Christly  task.  In  1893  Mrs.  Ida  C. 
Black,  of  Indiana,  succeeded  Mrs.  King  as  Superintendent  of  Chil¬ 
dren’s  Work.  In  1896  she  was  succeeded  by  Miss  Mattie 
Pounds,  of  Ohio,  who  is  still  in  charge. 

About  1892,  and  later,  when  enthusiasm  was  greatest  in  the 
Christian  Endeavor  movement,  many  of  our  Mission  Bands 
changed  to  Junior  Endeavor  Societies,  and  whatever  money  they 
raised  was  applied  to  local  demands  or  given  indiscriminately. 
Some  of  them  raised  none.  Thus  they  were  lost  to  us,  and  they 
lost  the  missionary  training  that  they  had  been  receiving  in  the 
Bands.  It  was  a  serious  question  how  to  correct  this,  but  they  were 
gradually  educated  back  to  giving  for  missions,  in  part,  and  then 
the  officers  of  the  United  Society  of  Christian  Endeavor  greatly 
aided  by  publishing  the  following  statement:  ‘‘In  order  to  encour¬ 
age  the  giving  of  money  through  the  denominational  Missionary 
Boards,  we  have  made  it  a  rule  that  only  Societies  whose  contri¬ 
butions  were  sent  in  that  way  should  be  enrolled  upon  the  Roll 
of  Honor.”  In  1895  the  missionary  training  of  the  Juniors  and 
Intermediates  was  placed  in  the  hands  of  the  Christian  Woman’s 


CHRISTIAN  WOMAN’S  BOARD  OF  MISSIONS 


32 


Board  of  Missions  by  the  National  Convention,  and  it  was  stated 
that  the  missionary  offerings  of  these  organizations  should  be 
made  to  the  Christian  Woman’s  Board  of  Missions,  just  as  the 
offerings  of  the  Sunday  Schools  for  Children’s  Day  were  given  to 
the  Foreign  Christian  Missionary  Society.  This  rule  has  obtained 
since  that  time.  Beginning  with  Junior  Endeavor  Anniversary 
Day,  March  the  twenty-seventh,  the  Juniors  observe  a  period  of 
self-denial,  closing  it  with  an  Easter  entertainment  and  offering 
for  the  mission  building  work  entrusted  to  them  by  our  Board. 

In  1890  Missouri  appointed  a  State  Superintendent  of  Chil¬ 
dren’s  Work.  The  plan  proved  so  helpful  that  other  States  soon 
followed  her  example,  until  it  soon  became  a  regular  and  recog¬ 
nized  office  in  State  work. 

MISSION  CIRCLES. 


From  the  early  years  of  our  organization  an  effort  has  been 
made  to  interest  young  women  in  the  work,  and  Mission  Circle 
Constitutions  were  prepared  for  their  special  use.  Until  1902 
there  was  no  special  department  in  the  Missionary  Tidings  de¬ 
voted  to  the  work  of  the  Mission  Circles,  nor  was  careful  atten¬ 
tion  given  to  the  preparation  of  literature  for  their  use.  The 
Circles  have  responded  generously  to  the  efforts  made  to  reach 
their  needs.  The  Circles  rank  with  the  Auxiliaries,  not  with  the 
Mission  Bands  and  Junior  and  Intermediate  Societies.  They  re¬ 
port  to  National  and  State  Secretaries.  The  Circle  offerings  are 
for  the  same  general  and  special  funds  as  are  those  of  the  Auxil¬ 
iaries.  For  their  special  and  distinct  work  the  support  of  schools 
and  native  helpers  in  foreign  lands  and  of  scholarships  in  the 
mountain  schools  in  the  home  field  have  been  assigned  them. 

LITERATURE. 

Until  1883  we  had  no  literature  of  our  own,  either  permanent 
or  current.  True,  the  editors  of  our  Church  papers  from  the  first 
gave  us  freest  use  of  their  columns  for  the  promotion  of  our  work, 
and  these  favors  were  gratefully  accepted,  but  a  paper  wholly 
devoted  to  our  mission  interests  had  been  greatly  needed  all  the 
time.  Lack  of  means  prevented  our  starting  it  until  in  May  of 
this  year,  the  first  number  of  the  Missionary  Tidings  was  issued, 
edited  by  Mrs.  M.  M.  B.  Goodwin.  It  was  a  small,  four-page 


34 


HISTORICAL  SKETCH  OF  THE 


monthly  paper.  Mrs.  Goodwin’s  health  so  failed  during  the  sum¬ 
mer  that  she  resigned  in  September  following,  and  a  Publication 
Committee,  Mrs.  L.  A.  Moore  and  Mrs.  S.  E.  Shortridge,  had 
charge  of  it  till  1888.  Since  then  it  has  been  edited  by  the  Corre¬ 
sponding  Secretary,  until  in  1904-5,  when,  because  of  the  growth 
of  the  work,  it  was  thought  best  to  relieve  the  Corresponding  Sec¬ 
retary  of  this  responsibility.  Mrs.  Anna  R.  Atwater  was  selected 
by  the  Executive  Committee  to  edit  the  Tidings,  and  commenced 
her  work  the  first  of  April,  1905.  At  this  time  (May,  1905)  the 
Missionary  Tidings  is  a  thirty-two-page  paper,  with  cover,  and 
the  regular  issue  is  19,500. 

In  1885  wTe  started  a  Leaflet  and  Supply  Fund.  We  publish 
leaflets,  pictures  of  missionaries  and  mission  buildings,  maps  of 
our  mission  fields,  booklets,  an  annual  Prayer  Calendar,  Treas¬ 
urer’s  books,  Auxiliary  and  C.  W.  B.  M.  Day  offering  envelopes, 
etc.  Each  year  several  millions  of  pages  -of  missionary  literature 
beside  the  regular  missionary  periodicals  are  mailed  from  our 
mission  rooms.  Our  collection  of  missionary  leaflets  and  sup¬ 
plies  won  favorable  notice  at  the  Student  Volunteer  Convention 
in  Toronto  in  1902,  and  has  won  an  honored  place  in  other  union 
missionary  exhibits.  About  four  hundred  publications  are  cata¬ 
logued. 

SPECIAL  SEASONS. 

In  July,  1887,  Joseph  King  earnestly  appealed  to  our  Execu¬ 
tive  Committee  “to  fix  upon  and  name  a  day  and  hour  in  each 
week  for  prayer,  when  all  whose  hearts  move  them  to  pray  may 
retire  to  their  closets  and  make  united  supplication  for  the  cause 
of  missions,  for  missionaries  and  for  the  Churches.  *  *  * 

What  an  inspiration  to  our  missionaries  to  know  that  on  a  cer¬ 
tain  hour  in  every  week  thousands  pray  for  them!  And,  above 
all,  it  would  make  glad  the  heart  of  Christ.”  This  was  brought 
before  the  National  Convention  in  October  and  warmly  approved. 
Five  o’clock,  Lord’s  day  evening,  is  the  appointed  time.  It  is  a 
sweet,  a  holy  hour.  God’s  benediction  rests  upon  it.  Its  general 
observance  would  enrich  our  work  beyond  our  power  to  express. 

At  the  State  Convention  of  the  Christian  Woman’s  Board  of 
Missions  of  Illinois,  August,  1889,  the  President,  Mrs.  Persis  L. 
Christian,  recommended  that  “we  establish  a  day  in  this  State 


CHRISTIAN  WOMAN’S  BOARD  OF  MISSIONS 


35 


for  the  purpose  of  making  our  work  known  throughout  the 
Churches,  and  also  for  soliciting  money.”  This  was  adopted,  and 
the  last  Sunday  in  November  was  the  day  appointed.  At  the 
Louisville  Convention,  in  October  following,  it  was  decided  to 
have  a  National  C.  W.  B.  M.  Day,  and  the  first  Sunday  in  July 
was  chosen  for  this.  It  was  first  observed  in  1890. 

Educational  Day  was  inaugurated  at  the  National  Convention 
of  1892.  Its  object  was  stated  to  be:  “1.  To  emphasize  the  im¬ 
portance  of  saving  our  educated  young  people  from  skepticism 
and  of  training  them  for  Christian  service;  and,  2d,  to  secure 
offerings  to  maintain  the  work  and  aid  in  raising  a  permanent  en¬ 
dowment  of  $50,000  to  be  controlled  by  the  Christian  Woman’s 
Board  of  Missions.”  It  was  then  arranged  that  the  Auxiliaries 
hold  midweek  service  on  the  regular  prayer  meeting  night  the  sec¬ 
ond  week  in  February,  1893,  in  the  interest  of  our  State  colleges 
and  the  proposed  Bible  Chair  at  Ann  Arbor,  Mich.;  that  a  collec¬ 
tion  be  taken  and  one-half  of  it  go  to  the  Bible  Chair,  the  other 
half  to  the  college  in  the  State  where  the  meeting  was  held.  In 
States  where  we  had  no  college,  the  whole  amount  to  go  to  the 
Bible  Chair.  A  goodly  number  of  Auxiliaries  observed  it,  and 
the  first  year  of  its  observance  it  brought  $1,664  to  our  treasury. 
But  the  date  seemed  not  quite  opportune,  coming,  as  it  did,  just 
before  the  regular  collection  by  the  Churches  for  foreign  missions, 
the  first  Sunday  in  March.  In  1894  it  was  held  in  January,  in  the 
interest  of  the  Bible  Chair  only.  But  this  date  was  not  satisfac¬ 
tory.  In  1895  it  was  changed  to  the  first  week  in  December,  at 
which  time  it  was  observed  that  year  and  in  1896  and  1897.  The 
Indianapolis  Convention,  in  1897,  decided  that  in  1898,  and  there¬ 
after,  our  two  special  days,  C.  W.  B.  M.  and  Educational,  should 
be  combined  and  observed  together  in  December,  thus  presenting 
to  the  Churches  all  our  interests  in  one  day. 

In  1895  the  National  President,  Mrs.  Burgess,  wrote  in  the 
Missionary  Tidings,  recommending  special  thank  offerings  on  the 
part  of  Auxiliary  members  and  those  interested  in  our  work.  Out 
of  her  suggestion  has  grown  our  Auxiliary  Week  of  Prayer  and 
Easter  thank  offering.  The  observance  of  C.  W.  B.  M.  Day  places 
the  work  of  our  organization  before  the  Church  and  gives  all 
Church  members  an  opportunity  to  know  of  the  progress  of  the 
work  and  to  contribute  for  its  advancement.  The  observance  of 
the  Auxiliary  Week  of  Prayer  brings  the  workers  apart  with  the 


36  HISTORICAL  SKETCH  OF  THE 

Master  for  counsel  with  Him.  It  gives  a  quiet  time  in  which  to 
prayerfully  plan  for  the  future,  while  we  give  thanks  for  the  past, 
and  it  opens  all  hearts  to  a  glad  affirmative  answer  to  the  Master’s 
question,  “Lovest  thou  me?”  The  Auxiliary  Week  of  Prayer  and 
its  accompanying  thank  offering  have  become  very  sacred  to  all 
who  havo  partaken  of  their  blessings. 

THE  FUNDS. 

The  General  Fund  is  for  the  regular  expenses  of  the  work. 
Into  it  go  the  regular  Auxiliary  offerings,  the  Annual  Member¬ 
ship  fees  and  all  Life  Membership  fees,  unless  otherwise  ordered 
by  the  donors. 

The  Endowment  Fund  is  permanent.  The  interest  only  can 
be  used,  and  used  only  for  India  missions.  At  first  all  Life  Mem¬ 
berships  and  bequests  not  otherwise  ordered  by  the  donors  were 
placed  in  this  fund.  This  was  changed  in  the  National  Conven¬ 
tion  of  1891.  This  fund  is  loaned  on  first  mortgage  real  estate 
secuiity.  It  was  at  first  kept  in  charge  of  a  trustee  under  bond 
for  twice  its  amount;  but  in  February,  1880,  the  Christian  Wom¬ 
an’s  Board  of  Missions  took  out  articles  of  incorporation,  thus  ac¬ 
quiring  recognition  in  law,  and  the  fund  was  then  placed  in  the 
hands  of  the  Treasurer. 

The  Memorial  Fund  is  composed  of  gifts  in  memory  of  de¬ 
ceased  friends.  It  is  permanent,  kept  loaned  on  good  security, 
and  the  interest  used  in  the  work  in  the  United  States. 

There  are  three  funds  devoted  to  Bible  work:  the  English 
Bible  Chair  Endowment  Fund,  the  Endowment  Fund  of  the  Uni¬ 
versity  of  Virginia  Bible  Lectureship,  and  the  Mrs.  M.  M.  Blanks 
Fund  for  the  support  of  Bible  work  for  the  University  of  Texas. 
The  beginning  of  the  first  fund  was  made  by  the  offerings  on  Ed- 
ucational  Day.  The  second  fund  was  opened  by  the  gift  of  $10,000 
from  the  family  of  Col.  J.  B.  Cary,  of  Richmond,  Va.  The  third 
fund  was  the  gift  of  Mrs.  M.  M.  Blanks,  of  Lockhart,  Tex.  These 
funds  are  permanent,  and  kept  loaned,  well  secured. 

The  Organizers’  Fund  is  for  organizing  Auxiliaries,  Circles 
and  Bands  in  weak  or  unorganized  States.  It  was  formerly  com¬ 
posed  of  voluntary  personal  offerings  and  from  gifts  from  well- 
organized  States.  The  adoption  of  the  plan  for  the  payment  of 


CHRISTIAN  WOMAN’S  BOARD  OF  MISSIONS 


37 


five  cents  per  month  by  the  Auxiliary  members  for  the  State  De¬ 
velopment  Fund  has  made  a  permanent  fund  for  the  organizing 
and  fostering  of  Auxiliaries,  and  the  payment  of  ten  per  cent,  of 
this  fund  into  the  National  treasury  makes  a  fund  always  avail¬ 
able  for  the  help  of  needy  States  and  Territories. 

The  Leaflet  Fund  is  composed  of  voluntary  contributions  and 
payments  for  leaflets,  and  is  used  in  preparing,  purchasing  and 
distributing  these  aids  to  the  work. 

The  Bilaspur,  Mahoba  and  Deoghur,  India,  and  Bayamon, 
Porto  Rico,  Orphanage  Funds  are  made  a  part  of  the  receipts  of 
the  Young  People’s  Department.  Into  these  funds  go  all  offerings 
made  for  the  support  of  the  children  in  the  various  orphanages. 
In  1899  a  Special  Object  Fund  for  the  Young  People’s  Department 
was  opened.  Into  it  go  the  special  gifts  from  the  children’s 
organizations. 

The  Annuity  Fund  contains  sums  given  to  our  Board  on  con¬ 
dition  that  a  fixed  rate  of  interest  be  paid  the  donors  during  their 
lifetime. 

CONCLUSION. 

The  foregoing  sets  forth  some  of  the  work  of  our  Board,  but 
the  best  can  not  be  told.  No  words  can  reveal  the  largeness  of 
heart,  richness  of  faith,  sweetness  of  hope,  blessedness  of  life  that 
have  come,  not  only  to  those  receiving  the  ministries  of  these 
women,  but  much  more  to  the  women  themselves.  All  have  been 
lifted  into  a  higher,  holier  life,  nearer  to  God,  in  this  service. 
The  Savior’s  words  have  been  abundantly  verified:  “It  is  more 
blessed  to  give  than  to  receive.” 


